Car-door-operating device.



W. NICHOLLS. CAR DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1915.

Patented J an. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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W. NICHOLLS.

CAR DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.23.19I5.

Patented J an. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Zfraeaaea WILLIAM N ICHOLLS, OF COLERAIN MINNESOTA.

CAR-DOOR-OPERATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Application filed February 23, 1915. Serial No. 9,907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM NICHOLLS, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Coleraine, in the county of Itasca and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Door- Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for winding up the chains which operatethe doors on drop-bottom railway cars. In such cars it is the practiceto support the doors by chains wound upon shafts, the shafts being heldby a pawl and ratchet. When the car is unloaded the pawl is released andthe Weight of the load forces the drop-bottom doors open. To replace thedoors it is necessary to wind up the chains. This winding-up operationis at present accomplished by the, use of a wrench or bar, whichoperation 1nvolves very considerable manual labor and in additioninvolves a serious element of risk to the men operatin the bars orwrenches, for it has not infrequently happened that a bar or wrench hasslipped from the hands of the operator and been thrown upward, causingserious accident. The purpose of my invention is to reduce the manuallabor and obviate the risk involved by winding up the chains, by meansof a motor-driven mechanism so arranged as to be readily applicable tothe car.

The invention would be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation ofan ore car with the door opening device associated therewith, Fig. 2 isa transverse section through the door operating device,

and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same partly in section with aportion of the we ing, removed.

It is impossible in practice to stop cars exactly in the same place;furthermore, it is desirable that one device shall serve a large numberof cars; consequently it is necessary that to make the device thoroughlyoperative, it must be readily movable. In Fig. l I have shown itoverhead rail hung from the bot-tom chord of the roof trusses of abuilding, taking current for operating the motor in a manner similar tothat used on overhead cranes. It is obvious, however, that in case'thcreis no overhead structure the device might be supported in some othermanner. In the as suspended from an drawings I have shown a motor 10which maybe of any approved type, either electric or pneumatic. Thismotor operates a shaft 11, upon which is keyed a worm 12. This wormengages a worm Wheel 13, which is mounted on a shaft 14. Likewisesecured to the shaft 14 is a pinion 15 engaging a large gear 16 keyed toa shaft 17. A socket 19 is rigidly secured to the overhung end 18 of theshaft 17 in any suitable manner, this socket having a squared recess 20for engagement with the car' shaft, or I may mount a tooth clutch 21 onthe overhung end of the shaft, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2,which clutch may engage a simi-' lar clutch on the door-operating shaft27.

The operation is as follows: The dropbottom doors of the car having beendumped in the usual manneigthe device here described is swung intoposition so that the tooth clutch or squared socket engages withcorresponding parts on the car, whereupon the motor is started and,because of the re-v duction in speed, the doors are closed slowly andwithout manual labor or danger to the operator. In case of an electricmotor, means means will be provided for'automa'tically cutting off thepower in case the operator fails to cut it oif manually after the doorsare closed, said means being shown in diagrammatic form in Fig. 3, inwhich 27 is an automatic cut-off, in series with the rheostat 29, andthe field of motor 10. 30 represents a knife switch in the feed line tothe motor and control box 29. However, in the event of the failure ofthese devices to cut oil the power, the motor and operating mechanismwill revolve bodily. In such case I may provide a spring'22 in thesusendin' chain 23 in order to reduce the shock. This chain engagessuitable cables 2 1 carried by a trolley 25 running on tracks 26.

Obviously the construction shown is capable of much modification,particularly in the form and disposition of parts, and suchmodifications as are within the scope of my claims I consider within thespirit of my invention. 1

I claim:

1. The combination with a car having a door of a rotatable shaft forclosing said door, a clutch on one end of the shaft,'an overhead supportand a trolley running on said support. a motor flexibly suspended fromthe trolley, a second shaft, speed re ducing mechanism between the motorand said second shaft,

and a clutch on the end of said second shaft adapted to flexibly engagewith the clutch on the end of said ear door, a eluteh on one end ofsaid, shaft, a

support and a trolley running on said sup- 10 port, a motor flexiblymounted on said support, a secon d shaft, speed reducingmeehanismbetween the motor and shaft, and a clutch on the'end of said secondshaft adapted to flexibly engage with the clutch on the end of the carshaft, substantially as de- 15 scribed.

Signed at Coleraine, Minnesota,-this 17th day of February, 1915.

WILLIAM NICHOLLS.

' Witnesses:

T. R. SALs1cH,' Emv. E. BARNIDGE.

